Minecraft Wiki Guide

Raw Materials

Raw materials are blocks which may be mined (or "harvested") from the world. Crafting will turn raw material into other blocks or items.

Note: In most cases, if a material is harvested with a lower material pickaxe than is mentioned in description, the block will not yield any material. Ex: If you break a block of diamond ore with a wooden pickaxe instead of an iron one, it will not give you anything once you break it.

Wood is the most common, almost plentiful, material for tools and weapons. Wood may be harvested from trees (by hand, or quickly by Axe), and renewed by planting a Sapling on a Dirt block that is exposed to the sky, or has enough light (and room) to grow indoors. Wood can be cooked in a Furnace to create Charcoal, a Coal substitute.

Water is a fluid, and as such does not adhere to block form except when poured into a receptacle. Water is used to irrigate farmland to grow crops. It may be used to put out fires, and as a resource to process lava into Obsidian or Cobblestone. A Spring is created if you pour two blocks worth of water into a 2x2 block square and 1 block deep receptacle in diagonally opposed directions.

Melons are similar to Pumpkins but since they produce Melon Slices which may be crafted into Melon Seeds which can then be planted (in dirt) to create new melons, they are considered a renewable resource. More specifically, they are a renewable food source for your character.

Various Mobs (Sheep, Cows, Chickens, Squid, etc.) including hostile ones (Skeletons, Spiders, etc.) are considered renewable resources since they respawn each night, in dark areas, or can be bred. Destroying or harvesting them will yield materials.

Non-renewable materials cannot be replenished, although some, like stone, can be recycled and placed elsewhere. If they are destroyed (say by pitching the blocks into lava, or leaving them on the ground and quitting the game), they are gone forever from that World.

Apart from wood, Smooth Stone is the most plentiful material in the world of Minecraft. Since it is so common, it is more efficient to use stone tools and implements than to use iron ones (except in special circumstances). If harvested by a Pickaxe, it will yield Cobblestone, unless the pickaxe has the enchantment 'Silk Touch.'

Iron is found underground. If harvested by a Pickaxe, it will yield Iron Ore. Iron Ore needs to be smelted in a Furnace to create the very, very helpful Iron Ingot. Iron ore only occurs in levels 2-64, and can only be mined by using a stone, iron, or diamond pickaxe.

Gold is found underground. If harvested by a Pickaxe made of Iron, it will yield Gold Ore. Gold Ore needs to be smelted in a Furnace to create Gold Ingots. As of minecraft 1.9 pre-realease 1, gold is a renewable source as you can kill pigman for gold nugget's whice can be crafted into gold bar's. Gold ore only occurs in levels 2-32, and can only be mined by using an iron or diamond pickaxe.

Diamond is found underground. If harvested by a Pickaxe made of Iron, it will yield Diamonds. Diamonds are used to create very strong tools and implements, but they are best reserved to create Pickaxes made of Diamond so you can mine Obsidian. Diamond ore can only be found from levels 2-16, and can only be mined by using an iron or diamond pickaxe.